The present invention relates to card games, and more particularly to poker-type card games.
Poker is a popular card game which has many variations of play. As is known, the game of poker has been adapted for play on electronic gaming devices commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cvideo poker machines.xe2x80x9d In the game of video poker, a player attempts to obtain a hand of cards which comprise one or more predetermined winning card combinations. For example, the winning card combinations may comprise a pair of Jacks or better. The player attempts to obtain a hand including cards of at least a pair of Jacks or better.
In order to maintain the interest of players, a wide variety of game options have been presented. For example, in some games the amount which may be wagered or paid out varies. In other games, the hands which comprise predetermined winning hands varies.
One video poker game variation which is currently popular is known as TRIPLE PLAY(trademark). In accordance with one arrangement of this game as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,873, a player is dealt a hand of cards. The player elects which of the cards in that first hand to hold. The cards held in the first hand are then duplicated to other hands, the number of additional hands depending generally on the amount bet by the player. This forms a number of hands each containing the exact same cards. The non-held cards in the first hand are then replaced to form a new first hand, and cards are added to the additional hands to complete those hands. The poker rank of each hand is then determined.
This poker game variation offers players the chance to increase the excitement of play by playing several hands of cards at the same time. On the other hand, a disadvantage of the game is that the cards which form the base or initial set of cards of each of the hands is always the same: the cards which were held from the first hand. Thus, the player in essence plays two or more of the same base hand and simply attempts to obtain additional cards which will make one of those base hands a winner.
It is desired to provide a game of poker which offers players the excitement of playing more than one hand of cards simultaneously, with greater excitement than present games.
The present invention comprise a method of playing a game. In one embodiment, the game is a poker-type game which involves the play of more than one hand of cards.
In one embodiment, the game includes the step of dealing a first hand of a predetermined plurality of cards. In one embodiment, five cards are dealt. Next, cards are selected from the first hand to be used in a second hand. In one embodiment, the selected cards are duplicated into the second hand. Cards are then selected to be held in the first hand. The non-held cards from the first hand are discarded. The discarded cards in the first hand are then replaced to complete the first hand. Cards are also added, as necessary, to the second hand to complete the second hand of a predetermined plurality of cards. In one embodiment, the second hand also has five cards. In one embodiment, the outcome of the game is determined by comparing the first and second hands to predetermined combinations of winning cards.
In one embodiment, none, one or more, or all of the cards of the first hand may be used in the second hand, and none, one or more, or all of the cards in the first hand may be held. The cards which are selected for use/duplication and the cards which are held may be different.
In one embodiment, a number of additional hands of cards other than the first hand may be played. The player is allowed to select none, one or more, or all of the cards from the first hand to be duplicated into each additional hand. The cards which are duplicated into the additional hands may be different from one another.
In one embodiment, the game may be implemented on a computing device and a computer may select the cards to be duplicated and the cards to be held.
In one embodiment, a player is required to place a wager for each hand to be played. Winnings may be paid based on the amount wagered. Greater winnings may be paid for higher ranked hands.
In another embodiment, the player is permitted to play a plurality of hands based on a single wager. In this embodiment, the payout for receiving a winning hand in other than the first hand and/or the criteria for determining if a winning hand is received in other than the first hand may be varied.